


Stuck To You

by notdarkyet



Category: Historical RPF, Measuring The World
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2013-09-04
Packaged: 2017-12-10 12:04:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/785865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notdarkyet/pseuds/notdarkyet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alexander is stuck in Berlin. Aimé is stuck in La Rochelle.<br/>Then they're both stuck in Berlin.<br/>But actually they'd much rather be stuck in South America.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a modern AU in which Alexander and Aimé work together at the university in Berlin. I'm well aware that the HU was founded by the Humboldt brothers and that there's a giant statue of Alexander right in front of it. To avoid this uncomfortable paradox let's just assume that the university was founded by someone else.
> 
> Many thanks to [Elodie](http://beeleebay.tumblr.com) who is helping me with the French parts. Merci beaucoup!  
> (If you hover over the French dialogue there's a vague translation.)
> 
> I also made a playlist for this, you can see the tracklist [here](http://oneoftheexactsciences.tumblr.com/post/51161443378/i-made-a-playlist-for-my-botany-boyfriends-fic) and download [here](http://ge.tt/3tRh7Rh/v/0).

Berlin, Germany

Alexander's alarm went off at 6.30. Beethoven's ninth filled the room.  
He was wide awake immediately, opened the bedroom window and breathed in the rich September air.  
It would be a good day.  
He showered, got dressed and left the house at 7 sharp.

He took the time to buy a cup of café au lait and drank it on his way to campus, where he arrived at 7.20.

The building was still almost empty at this time. A few faculty members greeted Alexander as he made his way to Professor Blumenbach's office.

When he knocked and entered, Professor Blumenbach wasn't there, instead he was greeted by a young woman copying notes to her laptop.

She smiled at him politely, "Hi, can I help you?"

"Good morning, is the Professor not here yet?"

"He just went to get some coffee. He should be back in no time. I'm Nina, by the way, his new TA." She held out a hand and he took it. 

"Alexander Humboldt."

She frowned. "As in ...?"

"I'm afraid so." He smiled wearily.

"Well, can I help you with something, Alexander?"

"I'll just wait for the Professor. I need to sign in with him."

"Suit yourself."

There was a moment of silence while Alexander sipped on his coffee and Nina typed away on her laptop.  
He stifled a yawn.

"Early lecture, huh?" she asked sympathetic.

"Not really. I'm working on a project."

She looked impressed. "You're working this early by choice? Boy, what I'd give for your motivation."

"I really can't afford to waste time. So much to do." 

Alexander waited another three and a half minute, impatiently drumming his fingers against the paper cup in his hands.

"Could you just tell the Professor I was here and if he's looking for me I'm up in the archives? I'll check in with him later today."

"Sure thing."

"Magnificent. Have a good day."

"Yeah, you too."

 

He rushed out of the door and up the stairs into the old archives where he was greeted by cold artificial light and dust hanging heavy in the air. He could spend hours between the filing cabinets and narrow rows of shelves filled with boxes and ring binders.

Most of it was poorly cataloged and it was a protracted job looking through them in search for something of interest. Alexander didn't mind. For him it was like a treasure hunt.

What he liked best were the herbaria. Brittle plants pressed into yellowing pages labeled in almost illegible scrawl.

He had made dozens himself now filling several shelves in his own flat. When he had moved there the first thing he bought was a plant press. Wilhelm had come to visit him and laughed at the rooms that were empty save the plant press and a framed picture of Linné on the wall.

But Alexander considered the local flora sufficiently studied and it bored him. His real interest was in the tropical rainforest especially in South America where previously unknown plants and animals were found every day. Meanwhile he was stuck in Germany, had to make do with the dried plants of explorers who had traveled South America centuries ago and sent their herbaria back home. 

It wasn't even a financial situation that held him back from hopping on the next plane across the Atlantic. He just happened to be the youngest of the family Humboldt, who was strongly involved with the University and associated projects and headed a foundation that provided several scholarships. 

So Alexander was expected to stay in Berlin, study something respectable and represent the family instead of 'stroll around and collect flowers' as his mother called it. In fact he was officially enrolled in finance but barely showed up to lectures these days.

 

Alexander's phone vibrated just as he was engrossed in 19th century manuscript itineraries. He let it ring as long as it took him to finish the paragraph he was reading before he picked up.

"Humboldt."

"Alexander?" It was his mother.

He sighed and let his head fall back against a wall. "Yes."

"Where are you? At university?"

"Where else would I be?"

"Do you have time in the afternoon?"

_No._

"I'll expect you at 4. Try to be on time."

"Yes, mother."

"Have a nice day, dear."

"Good bye, mother."

 

Alexander put the phone away and cursed internally. When his mother wanted to speak to him it usually had something to do with his future, a topic they could not agree any less on, or some family affair which could not be any more tedious.

To distract himself he turned back to the manuscript.

  

La Rochelle, France

Aimé woke up at eight as a girl collected her bra from his bedroom floor and sneaked out of his room. He drifted off again until eleven when sunlight shining through his window made it impossible to sleep any longer.

He stood up and fell right back into bed as his whole body ached in protest. Hangover. Right.

He lay motionless for another ten minutes before he could muster the energy to try again and drag himself into the bathroom to take some pain killers. He vaguely remembered having an anatomy lecture at twelve but that was not going to happen with his headache, ibuprofen or not.

So he threw his laptop and a few books into his messenger bag and took his bike to the botanical garden of La Rochelle.

He got through two and a half pages of Tournefort's _Éléments de botanique_ in the shade of a tree before his phone rang.

 

"Hello, Michel." He smiled into the phone.

"Aimé. How's my favourite brother doing?"

"I'm your only brother."

"If you weren't, you'd still be my favourite though."

"I'm flattered."

"So, how are you holding up in hicksville?"

"Barely."

"You need to come to Paris, man. You'd love it here. The parties, the girls ..." he paused, "the _Jardin de Plantes_."

Aimé laughed. "Hmm, the _Jardin_ , yeah. You know I can't afford it by a long shot."

Michel's voice turned serious, "Actually that's kind of what I'm calling about. You remember Joseph-Louis, right?"

"Your uni buddy?"

"Yeah. So he told me about this project where they fully finance a semester abroad. It's a new thing apparently so they're doing kind of a trial run and Joseph knows the organizers so he might be able to put in a good word for you."

Aimé had to fight to keep his excitement down. "That's ... that'd be great. It'd be great to see you."

Michel cleared his throat. "It's not in Paris."

"What?"

"It's for a scholarship in Berlin."

"Berlin?"

"Yeah, you know. Berlin. In Germany."

"I fucking know where Berlin is. I just ... what would I do in Berlin?"

"I understand they have a botanical garden in Berlin."

Aimé barked out a laugh, "Well, in that case ... Christ, Michel, anything to get out of La Rochelle."

"That's what I thought. So, Joseph said he can e-mail you the details if you're interested."

"Yeah, that'd be cool. Really, say him thanks for me."

"Will do. Take care."

"Yeah, you too. Bye."

Aimé hung up. He closed his eyes and let the sun shine on his face, blindingly bright even through closed eyelids. He pictured himself getting on a plane, watching his hometown getting smaller through the window.

 

He didn't know much about Berlin other than that it was the capital of Germany, but a big city like that would have a big university and maybe he would even be able to properly study botany there. The university in La Rochelle was small and Aimé was stuck with studying medicine which was the next best thing to what he actually wanted to do. 

He took out his laptop and googled ' _jardin botanique de Berlin_ ’.

 

Berlin

Alexander arrived at his parents' house at five to four. It was his brother Wilhelm who opened the door for him.

"Alexander. You are ... not late."

Wilhelm was two years his senior, liked to act as if it were ten. He was the favourite child, the model son, studied politics and linguistics and was already doing business with all the right people.

"Yes, well, mother sounded like it was important. What are you doing here by the way? Aren't you pretty busy? You're difficult to get a hold of these days."

Wilhelm glanced at his watch. "I just finished a meeting with your uncle half an hour ago and after I heard what mama has in stock for you I thought I'd stick around to witness the face-off."

Alexander pointedly ignored the teasing. "How is the fiancée?"

His brother had announced his engagement to Karoline just two weeks ago. Alexander found her nice enough, a bit plain maybe, but weren't all women?

"She's fine, thank you."

 

Wilhelm led him into the library where his mother waited for him. She kissed his cheeks and offered him coffee before they all sat down.

"Alexander -"

He interrupted her immediately. "If this has something to do with me not going to my lectures, I can assure you that I've been doing all the necessary coursework and will pass the exams easily -"

"You're not going to your lectures?"

Behind her back Wilhelm rolled his eyes.

Alexander winced. "I might have skipped the odd one. But they're such a waste of time I can spend much more productively."

His mother stopped him from talking with a wave of her hand. "For once we're not here to talk about your studies. Not directly anyway. It's about the foundation -"

"I told you I want nothing to do with that. I thought we agreed that Wilhelm is more than happy to -"

She raised her voice, "You let me finish, young man."

Alexander shut his mouth and reflexively straightened his back as his mother continued.

"Our newest project is a scholarship to make it possible for foreign students who otherwise wouldn't get the opportunity to spend one to two guest semesters in Berlin. They will be given a mentor in form of a German student to show them around."

Alexander eyed his mother suspiciously. "And I come in where?"

"We have a young man from France arriving in a month.  I'd like you to take him under your wing. He will live at your flat and you will accompany him to his lectures."

"I can't possibly. I don't have the time." he objected although he knew it was no use. "What does he study?"

"Medicine."

"Great." Alexander said dryly. "This is some publicity scheme, isn't it? For the foundation, the project. There will be people taking photos of us for you to put on your website, to get sponsors."

His mother didn't respond to that and handed him a file folder. "That's his application. Have a look at it. I'm sure you'll find he is a remarkable young man. I expect you to have the guest room ready for him."

"Yes, mother." He didn't take the folder so she put it down on the table in front of them before she stood up.

"Anyway, I don't want to keep you any longer. I'm sure you have studying to do. Wilhelm, I'll see you at the board meeting on Thursday?"

Both boys stood up to say goodbye to their mother.

 

Alexander flipped the folder open as soon as she had left the room and skimmed through the pages inside. Wilhelm watched him amusedly.

"You know you can't use him as an unpaid assistant for the little plant project you've got going on."

Alexander looked up at him. "I wasn't going to. Don't think he'd be much help anyway."

"Oh, I don't know. A soon-to-be doctor, you could do worse. You really need to brush up on your French though."

" _Mon français est très bien, merci beaucoup._ "

Wilhelm laughed at him.


	2. Chapter 1

After having spent all of twenty minutes on German ground Aimé could say with absolute certainty that he didn't like it one bit.

Granted it was hardly Germany's fault that flying made him nauseous and he had thrown the in-flight meal right back up, but now he was waiting at the airport and the guy who was supposed to pick him up was late.

He had already called Michel to pass some time ("I can't do this. There are people talking German all around me. It's giving me a headache. Also nobody has shown up for me yet." - "Aren't Germans supposed to be like super punctual?" - "I don't know, man.") and bought some disgusting German coffee.

He was sitting on his suitcase and listing to Oasis when someone tentatively tapped on his shoulder.

 

Aimé pulled his headphones off and looked up. In front of him stood a young man, neat blonde hair, razor sharp creases down the front of his trouser legs to go with it.

He looked down at a piece of paper in his hand then back up at Aimé. "Aimé Bonpland?"

" _Oui._ "

" _Bonjour. Je suis Alexander Humboldt. Enchanté d'avoir fait votre connaissance._ "

Alexander's smile was put-on, all practiced and diplomatic, and the strong German accent made Aimé cringe but he took the offered hand.

" _J'espère que tu ... que vous avez fait bon ... err, voyage ..._ " he sighed, " _Uhm, vous ne parlez pas allemand, n’est-ce pas?_ "

Aimé laughed. _Here we go._ " _Je crains que non._ "

" _Anglais?_ "

" _Oui._ "

Alexander relaxed visibly. "Thank god. French is really not my strong suit. Now come along, car's waiting out front. I'm sorry I had to keep you waiting by the way, but I had pressing matters to attend to - my studies - I'm sure you understand."

Aimé was not sure he did but nodded and was promptly dragged towards the exit by his shirtsleeve.

 

He was struggling to follow with both his suitcase and hand luggage to carry so Alexander took the latter from him and stopped surprised by the sudden weight.

"What on earth are you carrying in there?" His gaze dropped to the bulky book stuffed into a side pocket. It was _Éléments de botanique_. "You're reading that?"

"Yes?"

"I thought you were a med student?"

"I am. Well, it's what I did in La Rochelle anyway. I was hoping to look more into botany here in Germany." Aimé smiled sheepishly, "They don't offer any courses at the uni in La Rochelle but it's always been kind of a hobby of mine, you know -"

He was interrupted by the loud thud of his bag hitting the ground. Alexander had dropped it and was now staring at Aimé like an epiphany.

"Are you okay?" Aimé waved a hand in front of his almost enraptured expression.

"Can I hug you?"

Aimé flinched away from him. "What? No."

"I'm sorry. I just - You're a botanist." Alexander gestured helplessly as if trying to convey the gloriousness of the situation to him but lacking the words.

Aimé laughed awkwardly, "Aspiring botanist, I would say."

Alexander looked at him incredulously. "You're reading Tournefort. The father of French botany, isn't that what they call him? That's pretty heavy reading for someone who considers himself a dilettante." 

"So ... you are interested in botany I take it?"

"Int- ... interested in? ... I -" he sputtered, hands thrown up, he laughed, "No, I'm not _interested_ in botany. It's - ... I ... it's my calling." he concluded lamely but there was a glint in his eyes, "Actually I'm working on a project and could use a second opinion. You're ... you're heaven-sent actually. Come on, let's not waste any more time, we have so much to discuss."

 

Aimé was too dumbstruck by the peculiar, overly enthusiastic German to do anything apart from following him outside where a car was waiting.

The driver waited for them to put the luggage into the trunk and slide into the backseat before turning around to Alexander. "Should I take you straight to your apartment?"

"To the university, please." he answered without hesitation.

Alexander spent nearly all of the drive chatting away about the relevance of Tournefourt's classification system for modern botany while Aimé listened to him with half an ear while at the same time taking in the streets and buildings they passed.

Before now the only time he'd ever left La Rochelle was for a class trip to Paris and he barely remembered that. So Berlin seemed intimidatingly big to him while at the same time it filled him with anticipation.

 

As soon as they pulled up in front of the university building Alexander urged him out of the car. To the driver he said, "Could you take the luggage to my apartment? We can walk there when we're done here."

The driver nodded, "Just remember you and your guest are expected to take dinner with your family."

Alexander rolled his eyes and turned around to walk up to the building, still dragging Aimé behind him.

 

"To be quite honest I'm exhausted from the flight. So, uhm, could we make this quick? I'm dying for a shower." he asked tentatively but was immediately shushed by Alexander who led him into a small library.

"Trust me this is worth it." He handed Aimé a pair of white cotton gloves and put some on himself before he took one of the volumes out of its shelf and put it on a bookrest in the middle of the room. He gestured Aimé to come closer.

Aimé's eyes went wide as he read the title, " _Relation d'un voyage du Levant_. That's ... "

"... Tournefort's _Relation d'un voyage du Levant_ , yes. It's his original manuscript." Alexander watched him carefully turning the pages of the old travel journal, delighted he could share this with someone.

He smiled softly as a breathless 'my god' slipped past Aimé's lips.

 

They spent the next hours in the library, forgotten was Aimé's exhaustion as they looked through manuscripts and compared favourite botanists.

Aimé of course named his compatriots Tournefort and Lamarck. Alexander said he admired Linné and Mendel and was promptly laughed at by Aimé.

"Mendel! Could you be any more boring and cliche? You do know he manipulated those pea experiments."

"Doesn't change the fact that he was right about his laws." he was interrupted as his mobile buzzed, "F-... fudge, what time is it?" 

"Half past six."

"God." He punched a number into his phone, "Hello. I know I said we would walk but I might have slightly underestimated the time so could you drive us after all? ... Thanks. Meet you outside." he pulled his gloves off, "Come on, my mother is gonna eat me alive if we're late."

They hurried outside where the driver was already waiting.

 

Alexander sighed with relief as the car started and he sagged into the backseat, then his eyes fell on Aimé and he jumped up again.

"Dammit. We won't have time to go back to my place before dinner."

Aimé looked at him questioningly until he followed Alexander's gaze to the skinny jeans and band t-shirt he was wearing.

"This won't do." Alexander bit his bottom lip then his face lit up. "You're about my size, right?" He turned and began rummaging around behind his seat, "I keep a spare suit in the car in case I don't make it home between uni and family dinners." He shoved a garment bag at Aimé and looked at him expectantly, "Come on. We only need a couple of minutes to get there. Get changed."

"Here? In the car?" Aimé asked incredulously but Alexander was starting to look seriously desperate so he stripped without further protest.

Alexander pointedly kept his eyes fixed on the street outside. Aimé couldn't help but notice a rosy flush creeping up the fair skin of his neck and cheeks.

He turned back around when Aimé fiddled with his necktie that he couldn't properly tie without a mirror. Alexander watched him for a while before taking pity and patting his fingers away to do the knot in a few practiced moves just in time as they arrived at his mother's house.

 

Again it was Wilhelm who opened the door and Alexander was quick to intervene before he could get a chance to show off his French skills.

"Aimé, this is my brother Wilhelm. Wilhelm, Aimé Bonpland."

They shook hands, Wilhelm's smile as charming as ever. "Monsieur Bonpland, pleasure. Nice suit." he winked at Aimé.

Alexander cleared his throat, "Yes, great. Now can we all go inside?"

 

He showed Aimé into the drawing room where his mother and the other guests were already waiting. It was a small group of people, just a few patrons of the university and Wilhelm's fiancée.

Introductions were made and Aimé smiled politely but couldn't help but feel out of place in his borrowed suit between all these wealthy influential people who asked him about La Rochelle and his studies. He'd much rather stayed at the library and argue about phylogenetics.

Alexander didn't seem too keen on the party either but he engaged in small talk and was at ease with the undoubtedly familiar people around him.

By the time they made their way into the dining room Aimé was past his third glass of champagne and slightly tipsy.

He was sat next to Wilhelm who was pleasant company and politely pointed out when Aimé reached for the wrong fork without making him feel like an idiot. As it turned out his French was excellent and they had a quite enjoyable conversation about the medical faculty in Berlin.

Aimé told him how excited he was to visit the university's botanical collection, which made him laugh out and look across the table to Alexander.

As Aimé followed his gaze he saw that Alexander was watching them, might have been for a while judging by his posture. When he noticed the attention on him he was quick to turn back to his food.

"I'm sure he'll be delighted to take you." Wilhelm said with a smirk.

 

Aimé was relieved when he was finally allowed to leave, say goodbye to everyone and get back into the car.

"D'you want to go back to the library?" Alexander asked. He looked as energetic and perked up as earlier the day.

"I would fall asleep on the spot if you stopped talking for just long enough. So no, I'd rather go somewhere with a bed."

Alexander looked at him disbelievingly. "How can you possibly be tired? We've got an arecaceae seed collection by Carl von Martius in the archives. It's marvelous, I gotta show you - "

"Alexandre! It's past eleven. I had a long day."

Alexander fell back into his seat disgruntled. "Fine. Home it is."  

On the way Aimé did indeed fall asleep and Alexander shook him by the shoulder maybe a bit rougher than was absolutely necessary to wake him.

 

Halfway up the stairs to the apartment they ran into a young man. He enthusiastically threw his arms around Alexander who tried to flinch away without avail.

"Aimé, meet Carl. He lives in the flat above mine."

Carl turned around to Aimé who instinctively took a step back in case he was going to try to hug him too.

"You're the guest student, huh? Welcome." He took Aimé's hand in both of his and shook it vigorously.

"Thanks. Uhm, do you study finance, too?"

"Nah, painting. Anyway, gotta dash. Was nice meeting you and all. We should hang out some time, you seem way more fun than Alex here." He grinned and waved over his shoulder as he walked away.

Alexander winced. "I'm sorry about him."

He took out his keys and let Aimé into his flat. "Second door to the left is your room, bathroom's at the very end of the hall. I can give you the full tour tomorrow. You look exhausted."

Aimé sighed gratefully. "Yeah, tell me about it."

 

Later when he lay in bed he got a text from Michel.

_Everything alright, little bro?_

Aimé smiled to himself as he typed a reply.

_Most everyone's mad here._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All botanists mentioned in this fic are in fact real. Looking them up on Wikipedia is an educational way to spend an evening. You're welcome.


	3. Chapter 2

Out of habit Alexander woke up at 6.30 even without his alarm. He itched to go to the archives but had agreed to do some sightseeing with Aimé. It would put him one day back in his studies but that couldn't be helped.

He made coffee in the kitchen, waiting for Aimé to get up, absentmindedly skimming through the current issue of the Linnean Society's Botanical Journal. 

 

Around eight Aimé stumbled into the kitchen, still drowsy from sleep, wearing only a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. Alexander caught himself staring at the taut skin over his hipbone where his shirt had ridden up. 

"G'morning." Aimé mumbled, yawning as he slumped into a chair and reached for the coffee pot.

Alexander looked at him irritated. "Could you put something on, please."

"Come on, I'm hardly naked." 

"You ... you're not appropriately dressed."

Aimé laughed, "It's eight on a Sunday morning, I just woke up, this is your flat. I think if one of us is not appropriately dressed it's you.  What, do you, like, sleep in these clothes?"

Alexander looked down at himself, his suit, starchy white collar of his shirt, v-neck sweater, and shrugged.

"I live with purpose. I get up early, I dress properly. Did you know I haven't been sick in the last ten years? I get things done that way. A sound mind in a sound body."

"Oh, my body's plenty sound, thank you. But lucky for you I was going to take a shower anyway so I'll get out of your sight now, just wanted to say good morning." He mockingly knocked on the table twice before walking out of the room. Alexander could hear the shower being turned on seconds later. 

 

He didn't have time to consider whether thinking about Aimé in the shower made him just a bit uneasy because his doorbell rang in that moment and when he opened it was Carl holding a doughnut box.

"Alex, hello and good morning. I was getting breakfast and was thinking you and your cute little Frenchman might want some. Is he up yet?"

Alexander wordlessly pointed over his shoulder to the bathroom and Carl walked past him into the flat towards the kitchen without waiting to be invited in.

"You guys got any plans for today?" he asked while helping himself to coffee.

"I was going to show him around the city a bit. So he knows his way around the place as soon as possible and I don't have to escort him to all his lectures and stuff." 

"Right, I forget you weren't actually too keen to sign up for the adopt-an-exchange-student deal."

 

They both looked up as the bathroom door opened and Aimé walked past the kitchen. His hair was still wet from the shower even more unruly than usual but he was wearing jeans and a button-down. He spread his arms and looked at Alexander provocatively, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Do I get your approval?" he asked not waiting for an answer before he walked off into his room. 

Carl drew his eyebrows together and looked from him to Alexander. "Dude, did you put out? I'm telling you you're too easy, man, no wonder they don't respect you in the morning."

"Shut up." Alexander halfheartedly threw his botanical journal at him but he ducked and it almost hit Aimé who had just walked back into the kitchen, rubbing his hair dry with a towel.

" _Bonjour._ " Carl grinned and shoved the doughnut box towards him, "Here, have some before Alex eats them all." 

Aimé stuffed a doughnut into his mouth and picked up the botanical journal from where it had fallen on the floor. "Did you read the article on genome size variation in _apostasioideae_? Is it any good?"

"And that's my cue to leave." Carl said and stood up. "You geeks have fun." 

He ruffled through Alexander's hair causing him to make a pained noise and left the flat.

Aimé laughed, "Him I like. How did you meet?"

"He's a scholarship holder of my family's foundation. They got him the apartment here. He came over one day to borrow milk and he ... I guess he kinda stuck around." Alexander frowned as if he wasn't entirely sure how it had happened himself. 

 

The doorbell rang again and Aimé stopped licking the icing off his doughnut and let himself fall back into his chair with a groan. "Jesus, when they told me that your family is kind of a big deal around here I didn't think it would mean that you're that much in demand on a Sunday morning."

"It's not usually ..." Alexander was interrupted by the bell ringing again and he went to open the door where two men said they were sent here by Alexander's mother to take photos of him showing the guest student the city.

Aimé quietly accepted that he wouldn't get another moment's peace out of his morning and agreed to have the photographers drive them to the Brandenburg gate. 

On the way they asked him a couple of questions to put on the foundation's website like his expectations and first impression of Germany and Aimé made something up that didn't really seem to satisfy the photographers but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

 

In front of the Brandenburg gate they made Alexander point a finger at the columns and told Aimé to look at it like it was the most marvelous thing he'd seen in his life.

Aimé felt utterly ridiculous and didn't know where to look, the photographers unsuccessfully trying to get his smile to look less forced, until Alexander leaned a little closer and mumbled, "Did you know it was build in the 18th century by King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia? After Napoleon defeated the Prussians in 1806 he stole the quadriga from the top and took it to Paris. We took it right back from your people in 1814."

Aimé forgot they were being photographed for a moment and laughed out loud at the pride in Alexander's voice.

One of the photographers gave them a thumb up. "That was great, thank you. Now, can we get another one with both of you facing the camera.? Look straight ahead at me. Like that, thanks. Herr von Humboldt to the left, please."

Alexander let himself be ordered around easily, almost enjoying the attention, tilting his head in just the way the photographer wanted him to and it dawned on Aimé that he'd probably been doing photo ops for years.

The photographer knelt on the ground to get the angle right, "Monsieur Bonpland, if you could just step a little closer to ... yes, thank you. Herr von Humboldt, could you put an arm around him? Great."

Aimé felt Alexander's hand heavy on his shoulder for just a second before the camera flashed and Alexander stepped away from him again.

The photographer stood up and looked at the small digital screen of his camera. "That'll do. Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Monsieur Bonpland. Have a nice day."

 

As soon as they were gone Aimé felt his whole body relax. "God, that was awkward." 

"You did pretty good for a rookie." Alexander said amused and handed Aimé some paper slips. "These are lectures and classes you'll be attending in your time here. It's medicine of course, we didn't know you liked botany. I can look up some botany courses later if you're interested. Anyway most of this will be at the main campus, let me show you. We can walk from here."

A few dozen meters from the Brandenburg gate Alexander pointed to a modern looking building to their left. "That's the French embassy in case - "

"In case I get homesick?" Aimé laughed dryly, "Yeah, that won't happen."

"Oh? You're not very fond of France? I took you for an ardent patriot."

"I am. I mean I'm proud to be French. I've just been wanting to get away my whole life, go places, you know, travel."

Alexander frowned. "Why didn't you until now?"

"I don't have the money. I live in my parent's attic for god's sake. Trust me if I had the money I'd be out of here in no time." Aimé said, bitterness in his voice.

"Where would you go?"

"Everywhere. I'd go see the world. Collect plants." He smiled at Alexander. "Mostly I'd love to see the rainforest. The Amazonian one probably as that is the largest remaining one with the highest biodiversity and all."

"God, me too."

"I hate to be the one to break this to you, Alexandre, but you do have the money. You're rich. You probably could have gone years ago."

Now it was Alexander to laugh. "It's not so much my money as my family's. I can spend it on what I want as long as they approve. I'm afraid a trip to Brazil is not on the list. They'd rather not have me leave Berlin at all. I'm grounded here, it's driving me mad."

"Well, better here than La Rochelle. Believe me you're lucky."

"Lucky! You have no idea. This is my prison. I'd rather be in your place. You have no responsibilities, no one has expectations on you. You're free."  

Aimé shook his head, "Only someone with money could say that. Also I wouldn't want to swap with you. That'd make me German."

"Hey, being German is very respectable. We are the nation of poets and philosophers."

"Ha, for every of your German poets I could name you a greater French one. There's no music in your language. No subtlety."

Alexander's eyes went wide as if Aimé had insulted his mother. "It is not. What is there more beautiful than Goethe, more subtle than Eichendorff? Of course to someone who's never even read Goethe -"

Aimé held up his hands in a soothing gesture, "Woah, calm down there. It's okay, I believe you. Whatever."

Alexander didn't respond, he was sulking so they walked in silence for a while until Aimé looked up and suddenly laughed out. "These are linden trees!"

Alexander looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Well yeah, that's what the boulevard's called. _Under the linden trees_."

"Sorry, I just - forgive me for bringing up poetry again ... I don't suppose you know Rimbaud? There's this poem. It used to be my favourite. Uhm, _on n’est pas sérieux, quand on a dix-sept ans et qu’on a des tilleuls verts sur la promenade_." he smiled awkwardly and paused as he walked with his head thrown back to look up at the trees, figuring out what to say, "You know, I am happy to be here. It's beautiful. I shouldn't have said ... look, I'm sorry."

He looked back at Alexander who currently seemed to be conflicted about whether he was still technically mad at Aimé.

Aimé sighed. "Come on, man, that's all the apology you're gonna get." 

Alexander kept silent and they walked for a few more minutes before he said, "The International World War Peace Tree is a linden tree."

"Oh?"

" _Tilia cordata_ I suppose, or _tilia platyphyllos_."

"If I ever make it to America I'll find out for you." Aimé said just as they approached the university building he recognized from when they were driven here last night. 

Alexander made a sweeping gesture, "Here we are. I hope you remembered the way." 

"Totally." Aimé lied. Thank god for maps.

"Good. Now, I suppose the Reichstag building is another thing you should get to see." 

 

They got coffee on the way and Aimé had his fun teasing Alexander about his girly coffee order. They talked about linden trees all the way to the Reichstag building where they sat down on the grass to finish their coffee.

Aimé looked up at the grey stone structure and Alexander eyed him as if he was expecting some kind of response to the sight. 

"It's nice I guess?" he tried, "What does that say?" he pointed to the inscription above the columns on the main façade.

" _To the German people_. It was put there in 1916 even though Wilhelm II, who was German emperor at the time, hated it. Probably for it's democratic message."

Remembering the story about the Brandenburg gate Aimé said, "It's always Wilhelms, huh?"

Alexander's face suddenly fell and he stared into the distance, "Looks like it, doesn't it?"

Seconds later he shook his head, more to himself and stood up, brushing grass off his trousers, "Okay, what's next ... I can show you -"

Aimé bit his lip before he interrupted him, "You said yesterday you have an _arecaceae_ seed collection, I'd really like to see that. If you don't mind. Sightseeing is nice and all but ... you know." 

Alexander looked at him fondly, "You, Aimé Bonpland, are the best thing that has happened to me in years."

Aimé laughed, "Jesus, the last few years must have seriously sucked for you."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The current issue of the Linnean Society's botanical journal really features an article called 'Genome size variation in Orchidaceae subfamily Apostasioideae: filling the phylogenetic gap', just so you know I'm not making this shit up.
> 
> Also free history lesson for y'all because Alexander is super invested in his home town. I hope you payed attention, there's gonna be a quiz on Friday.


	4. Chapter 3

The next day was a Monday, so Alexander was woken by his alarm as usual.

He showered and got dressed and Aimé still wasn't up, so after Alexander had knocked on his door four times without an answer he tentatively stepped into the room.

Aimé lay face first on his pillow only his dark tousled hair visible.

"Aimé." Alexander nudged his shoulder. "Wake up."

Aimé stirred and mumbled something into the pillow that vaguely sounded like _Va te faire fourte_.

"Come on, we have to go to uni." Alexander tried to pull the blanket away but Aimé was holding it with an iron grip.

" _Je m'en fous_ ," he said with a snarl.

"Aimé, please. Don't make me get a bucket of ice water."

Aimé turned around and blinked up at him, "What time is it?"

"Almost seven."

"Are you crazy? I don't have a lecture until ten." He rolled back onto his stomach.

"But I have to get to work in the archives now. And I can't let you go to your lecture alone, for all I know you're gonna get lost and my mother's is gonna be so furious."

Alexander grabbed Aimé by his arm and dragged him away from under his blankets. He hesitated when he saw Aimé wearing the same clothes he had worn the day before.

"When did you get into bed yesterday?" he asked sharply.

"I dunno ... two, three maybe?"  

"What on earth -"

Aimé groaned, "Carl invited me out for drinks to celebrate my first full day in Germany. That was after you locked yourself in your room to work on your herbaria. I'm telling you that guy can hold his liquor. Don't ever agree on doing shots with him, he'll drink you under the table."

"I wasn't going to. God, what were you thinking going out on a Sunday night?" Alexander glanced at his watch and sighed, "Can you make it into the shower?"

"I can try." Aimé sat up and pressed the knuckles of his fingers into his eye sockets. "Ugh, it's too early. I feel horrible."

Alexander crossed his arms and looked at him without pity. "You don't feel horrible because it's early. You feel horrible because you got drunk and slept in your clothes."

Aimé stood up and had to steady himself on the wall as he walked towards the bathroom. "You could at least fake some sympathy."

"I have no sympathy for someone with as little self control as you."

"You're cruel, you know that?" Aimé said before stepping into the bathroom.

 

When he came back out a few minutes later, hair damp and looking considerably more awake, Alexander handed him a glass of water and a pain killer.

Aimé swallowed it gratefully and sighed in relief. "I take everything I said back. You're awesome." He glanced back into his room. "Was there a girl?"

Alexander frowned, "What? There's no girl here. Why would there be?"

Aimé scratched his head, "Hmm, my memory is kind of hazy. I swear at some point there was a girl. Cute little brunette. French studies. She seemed real eager to ... hm, study some French." he grinned slyly and winked at Alexander who blushed furiously and was too flustered to retort.

Eventually he mumbled, "Be ready to leave in five," turned around and disappeared into his room.

 

They arrived at the campus around eight so Aimé was still too early for his lecture. He looked around awkwardly as Alexander was about to head up into the archives.

"Uhm, I've got quite some time to kill. Do you mind me coming with you?"

Alexander turned around at the bottom of the stairs looking conflicted, "I'm not supposed to involve you in my studies. I think my mother fears I'm going to make you work for me."

"What if I want to? Work for - well, with you. Once I'm back in La Rochelle I might not get the chance to do something like this again and it's not like I've got something better to do right now." 

It took Alexander less than a seconds to make up his mind. "Okay, come on then. I got to pick up some general reference works first."

 

Aimé followed him into the library where Alexander handed him one book after the other until the pile in his arms stuck out over his head and he could hardly see where he was walking.

Meanwhile Alexander was idly fiddling with a ballpoint pen and going on about binomial nomenclature with the result that Aimé, who was walking up the stairs behind him, tripped and fell down several steps, books scattering around him.

Alexander hurried to him immediately but instead of helping him he picked up _Vascular Plant Families and Genera_ and worriedly inspected the spine of the book. "God, Aimé, could you be any clumsier? You're lucky you didn't break any books."

Aimé groaned and rubbed his aching elbows, "Any books? I could have broken my leg or something. Ouch, it feels like I have."

"Nah, you're fine. Don't be so whiny, that won't get you anywhere." Alexander stacked the books up again and held them out to Aimé.

"You know this wouldn't have happened if you'd carried some of these." he said and tossed _An Illustrated Dictionary of Plant Identification Terms_ back to Alexander.

"You wanted to help."

"Yeah, help, not do all the dirty work for you. I'm starting to get what your mom was worried about," Aimé complained but nevertheless carried most of the books up to the archives where Alexander took several file boxes out of their shelves. 

"These are herbaria from the area around the Atlantic from both the Amazon and the West African rainforest. I need you to sort through them."

They worked mostly in silence, Alexander sitting at a small table, Aimé on the floor to his feet, sheets of paper spread out around him, only interrupted by Alexander asking Aimé to help him decipher some particularly bad handwriting in a manuscript from time to time.

 

After a while Aimé sneezed once, then twice and didn't seem to be able to stop.

"What is it now?" Alexander asked annoyed.

"I've got a mild dust allergy." Aimé answered and took out a tissue.

Alexander sighed theatrically, "You know you probably got that because you were coddled as a child and didn't build up a strong immune system. I for one was outdoors all day and I'm perfectly healthy now."

"That's really great for you, Alexandre, congratulations." Aimé said mockingly and tried to get back to the herbaria only to pause again a few minutes later, "You should get a radio in here. I'd be cool to listen to some music."

Alexander didn't look up, "I'm here to work not to listen to music." He held up his watch, "Also you should probably get to your lecture now."

"Trying to get rid of me, huh?"

"On the contrary. If you show up to your lectures like a good boy no one's got a reason to keep you from doing some botany in your free time. You've been quite helpful, I hope we can do this again some time."

Aimé carefully put the file box back into its shelf, "Well, you better buy me dinner first."

Alexander looked up at him, "I can - I mean if you want we could meet again for lunch around two."

Aimé bit his lip to stifle a grin. "Uhm, sorry, I'd love to but I've got a tutorial around that time," he answered after checking his class schedule, "I guess I won't see you until I get home. Have fun."

Alexander didn't react, he was too engrossed in a book, tongue between his lips in concentration, and Aimé watched him for a while before quietly sneaking out of the room.

 

When he got back to the apartment just after five he was hit by the strong smell of formaldehyde as soon as he opened the door.

He had to press his shirt sleeve over mouth and nose. "Alexandre, what on earth are you doing?"

Alexander came out of his room, wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves up to his elbows. He held up his hands, "Formaldehyde."

"Yeah, I can smell that." Aimé put the bags he was carrying down to open several windows. "It's a wonder you didn't suffocate yet. You should at least wear a proper respirator mask."

Alexander shrugged, "The smell doesn't really bother me anymore."

"Yeah, that's a strong sign that you're working with it way to much, it's probably already destroyed all your olfactory cells."

"That's impossible." Alexander pulled off his gloves and mask, "What's in the bags?"

"Food."

"Why?"

"To cook. Because if I have to eat another slice of that black death you call bread I'm gonna kill myself." Aimé went on to carry the bags into the kitchen. "You can get cleaned up and help me chop vegetables. And put away that formaldehyde."

 

To Aimé's surprise Alexander went into the bathroom straight away and came back with his hands scrubbed raw.

He watched Aimé crack open eggs into a bowl, "What can I do?"

Aimé handed him a knife and a cutting board. "I figured that pot-au-feu would be the obvious choice for something traditionally French, but I was never a big fan of stew, so we're making quiche like maman taught me. These are the vegetables I need."

Alexander held up a zucchini, "How do you want this?"

"Julienned." Aimé said without looking up from his bowl.

"What?"

"Uhm, cut into small sticks. Jesus no, stop, what are you doing?" Aimé interrupted Alexander immediately as he began slicing the zucchini. "Who taught you how to hold a knife? You're going to cut your fingers off. Put your thumb along the blade and curl the fingers of your other hand under. No, not-" Aimé sighed, "Fine, come here."

He stepped behind Alexander and put a hand over his on the knife guiding him into place.

"I can hold a knife just fine," Alexander protested half-heartedly but he leaned back towards Aimé ever so slightly until his shoulder brushed Aimé's chest.

Aimé could still smell the formaldehyde on him, pungent and overpowering, but underneath he smelled of mineral dust and grass and the syrupy coffee he drank and it went straight to Aimé's head.

"That's good. You're a quick learner," he said, voice thick.

He cleared his throat and stepped away from Alexander who went on cutting the vegetables by himself.

He took a bottle of wine out of his bag. "You want some?"

Alexander looked up from his knife. "Didn't you buy that to drink with the food?"

"Well, yeah, but it's like when you go to the movies and you eat all the popcorn before the movie starts. It's just a thing - ohjesuschrist watch what you're doing!"

Alexander looked back at his own hands and seemed startled by the bright red blood welling from his middle finger. 

Aimé took the knife from his hands and dragged him over to the sink to hold the finger under running water. "Oh, _merde_. Do you have a first aid kit?"

"It's not that bad. I can probably just-"

"Alexandre."

Alexander sighed. "Bathroom cabinet."

"Okay, stay here." Aimé got the first aid kit from the bathroom and carefully disinfected the cut while Alexander was fidgeting around on his chair.

"Will you hold still. You're lucky this doesn't need stitches." Aimé said as he wrapped a band aid around his finger.

Alexander grinned, "Well, at least it's good for something that you're a doctor."

He stood up to pick up his knife again but Aimé pushed him back into the chair. "I'm not letting you touch any more sharp objects. I can finish this alone, you stay right here and look pretty."

Aimé picked up the whine again and filled two glasses. Alexander was about to decline but Aimé pushed a glass into his intact hand.

"Doctor's orders."


	5. Chapter 4

 

It wasn't until the next weekend that Aimé finally got to see the botanical garden. 

He had had a busy week between medical lectures, working in the archives and nights out with Carl and was looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday which of course wasn't happening with Alexander bursting into his room at half past seven.

Aimé just looked at him, said "No," and pulled the blanket over his head.

Alexander stayed where he was, "I thought you wanted to see the botanical garden."

"Yes, I do. But I also really really value my sleep."

"I'm going without you." Alexander said and began walking towards the door pointedly slowly.

Aimé folded his blanket back, "Fine."

 

They got to the botanical garden by underground. Aimé fell asleep with his head against the window and woke up resting against Alexander who didn't seem to mind or even notice and just kept on talking.

Alexander walked right past the ticket booth at the entrance and only pointed at Aimé and said "He's with me" to the guard who nodded and let them through.

"I'm here a lot.", he explained as Aimé looked at him quizzically

"I'd never have guessed." 

 

The park was beautiful, it was well into autumn so the leaves on the trees were dyed in orange and red, but it was still relatively warm in the sun and Aimé wanted nothing more than to lie down on the grass but Alexander dragged him straight ahead to one of the large greenhouses. 

Inside it was hot and humid and Aimé immediately took off his jacket and opened the top buttons of his shirt while Alexander didn't so much as loosen his scarf.

Once Aimé got over the initial discomfort of rapid change in climate he took a look around and found himself surrounded by a vivid green that seemed to breathe and vibrate.

"This is ... stunning." 

"Isn't it just?" Alexander smiled at him.

Aimé slowly walked along the small path between the plants, "This might just be my favourite place on earth ever." 

Alexander chuckled and followed after him, "Provided you don't get to see the real thing one day which I believe you will." He suddenly paused and stared at something between the trees, "Will you look at that!"

Before Aimé could get a hold of him he stepped off the path and behind some large-leaved bushes to inspect a small plant with tiny white flowers. 

"Alexandre!" Aimé looked around for any kind of guard or groundsman who might get them into trouble but they seemed to be the only people inside the greenhouse. "Alexandre, I don't think you're supposed to -"

"Give me your bag," Alexander interrupted him.

"What?"

"Give me your bag."

"What do you want it for? I'm not gonna -"

"Give me your bag."

Aimé sighed resignedly and stepped over the cordon that lined the path to hand Alexander his bag. "God, you're unbelievable. Would you at least tell me what you plan on doing with it?"

Alexander didn't respond but began to dig out the plant along with its roots and carefully put it into Aimé's bag. 

"Please tell me we're not about to steal a plant from a botanical garden." 

"Don't be so pedantic."

"Pedantic, me? I just - " Aimé fell quiet as he heard the door open and the unmistakable noises of a group of young students accompanied by the voice of a tour guide, "... our main tropical greenhouse which was build in 1907. With its height of 23 meter it is one of the largest greenhouses of the world ..."  

"Shit," Aimé cursed under his breath but he didn't have time to come up with something to do before Alexander dragged him behind one of the bushes and pressed his hand hard over Aimé's mouth as if he feared Aimé might make a sudden noise to call the guide's attention.

For a second Aimé considered licking his hand to make him let go but as his fingers were still covered in wet dirt that didn't seem too appealing.  

The group stayed on the path right next to them for endless minutes, the guide apparently having quite something to say about the _dendrocalamus giganteus_ that grew up to the glass roof.

Aimé almost dozed off again, Alexander's calm regular breathing in his ear, the high temperature making him drowsy.

 

When Alexander jolted him awake it was once again silent around them.

"Hey, Aimé, you with me?" 

Aimé angrily gestured at the hand still over his mouth and Alexander hastily took it away blushing slightly, "Sorry."

"Was that necessary?", Aimé wiped dirt from his face. "That better be some really spectacular plant." he frowned, "Wait, it's not, like, psychedelic? Did I just help you steal drugs?"

"God, Aimé, are you really that poor a judge of character? Do I strike you as someone who steals psychedelic plants from a botanical garden with his French f- ... flatmate."  

Aimé forced himself to ignore the little moment of hesitation in Alexander's voice, "I wouldn't put it past you."

"Besides if I really wanted I could get stuff way easier, I do have the money as you know." Alexander went on casually as he picked up Aimé's bag and headed towards the exit.

Aimé shook his head, "Sometimes you worry me."

 

As soon as the got home Alexander was about to disappear into his room again and Aimé tentatively put his foot in the door.

"Can I come in?"

Alexander shrugged, "Just don't touch anything."

Aimé hadn't been in the room before but somehow it looked exactly like he had expected it to. There was a large work bench all along on side of the room. A heavy plant press on one end, half finished Herbaria next to it, a theodolite, several terraria mostly filled with plants but also a tarantula and a small snake. Book shelves covered another wall and there was barely room for a small bed in one corner.

Aimé crouched down in front of the snake terrarium and tapped against the glass. "What a beauty."

Alexander was standing at the desk, he took the plant from the botanical garden out of the bag and carefully put it into one of the other terraria. "Her name is Henriette. After a good friend of mine."

Aimé laughed, "That's nice. I think."

Alexander looked at the reptile fondly, "It's a _lampropeltis triangulum_. I believe they're called _couleuvre tachetée_ in French."

"Your knowledge of French is awfully selective." he checked his phone, "I'm gonna meet up with Carl. You wanna come?"

Alexander eyes were fixed on the new plant in his terrarium. He didn't seem to hear.

"Okay, I'll leave you two alone then. Have a nice evening," Aimé mumbled and quietly closed the door behind himself.

 

 


	6. Chapter 5

When Alexander walked into the kitchen the next morning he almost dropped the books he was carrying. There was a girl standing at the counter making coffee. She was wearing panties that said 'Berlin' across the back in college font and what was clearly one of Aimé's T-shirts.

She turned around to Alexander, "Hi, you must be Aimé's flatmate. Alexander, right?"

"Yes, indeed," he answered brusquely.

"I'm Emma." She held out her hand and waited a few beats before she realized he was not going to take it, "Uhm, I'm just making coffee. You want some?"

"No, thank you."

She bit her lip and grinned, "It's funny, you're just like he described you. He talked about you a lot last night you know."

He frowned, "I got to..." he gestured towards the door, "Uhm, please excuse me."

 

He walked out of the kitchen and nearly bumped into Aimé who was just leaving the bathroom.

"There's a girl in my kitchen," Alexander said in a low urgent voice.

Aimé grinned complacently, "I know, right?"

"No." Alexander said but Aimé was already walking past him toward the girl.

"Good morning, _ma chérie_." he pulled her close by her shirt.

She laughed softly and raised an eyebrow, "You don't remember my name, do you?"

He nuzzled her neck, "Hmm, is it by any chance _Belle_? Because you sure are."

"It's Emma." Alexander said.

Aimé rolled his eyes and looked at Alexander standing in the doorway, "I take it you've introduced yourself."

"She should really go now."

"Alexandre - " Aimé began but Alexander looked back at him adamantly. He turned to the girl, "I'm really sorry. This is kinda his flat so I'm not really in a position to -"

"It's okay. He's lucky he is really cute so I'm gonna ignore the blatant rudeness. I'll just get my clothes then," she stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek, "You have my number if you wanna ... you know. See you." She walked out of the room.  

The kitchen was filled with uncomfortable silence until the front door closed.

Aimé sighed and shot a glance towards the ceiling, "You gonna tell me what that was about?"

"You did- ... you ... you can't - " Alexander stuttered, then paused and regained his posture, "I mean, you can't bring girls here."

"Are you being serious? Are you-" Aimé shook his head in disbelief, "Please tell me you're not one of those religious, sex-before-marriage-is-a-sin guys. No, actually, don't tell me, whatever you do is fine with me but don't try to proselytize me."

Alexander huffed, "I'm not ... I don't-"

"Not religious? Well then it's apparently just your general German uptightness. Are you gonna lecture me about self-control again?"

"I see that I can hardly keep you from pursuing your ... your immoral sexual encounters, but will you please refrain from practicing your promiscuity under my nose?"

"What, you think my 'promiscuity' is gonna corrupt your precious morals?" Aimé laughed, "Sorry, I just can't take this seriously. I'll be in my room if you ... whatever, man."

He walked out without waiting for Alexander's reaction.

 

Aimé was working on an essay for uni when his mobile rang.

"Y'ello?"

He winced when it was Carl talking into the phone way louder than necessary. "Morning, Bonpland. Just wanted to check whether you made it home okay yesterday. I don't remember a thing."

"Huh yeah, you were quite plastered. I'm fine though. Went home pretty early with a girl."

Carl whistled low, "Dude, nice."

Aimé laughed dryly, "Well, should've gone to her place. Alexander just threw her out."

"Yeah, he's generally bad with girls. Don't blame him, okay? He doesn't mean it."

"Nah, I think he just needs to get laid. Tell you what, we should go out for drinks with him and hook him up with someone."

Carl laughed, "Twenty if you can make him. Actually I'll give you ten if you just manage as much as getting him drunk."

"Oh, it's on. Meet you tonight at eight?"

 

A few hours later Aimé, Carl and a disgruntled Alexander were sitting in a bar.

"Come on, Alexander, cheer up." Aimé nudged him in the ribs, "What d'you wanna drink?"

"Do they have white wine at this place?"

"Very cute. I'm gonna get us shots. Back in a sec." Aimé got up and walked away.

Carl turned to Alexander, "I didn't think you'd come."

"He said he'll tell my mother I'm being a bad host if I don't join you here."

"That's pretty low." Carl said but he was grinning.

"What is?" Aimé was back at their table, next to him two girls. "Meet Sophia, and ... Lisa, right? Yes. They study veterinary medicine. Ladies, this is Carl, and that's my friend Alexander Humboldt."

Sophia frowned, "Wait, Humboldt? That sounds really familiar."

Aimé nodded emphatically, "Yes, his family has a foundation. Or they possibly own the university, who knows." He moved around so Sophia could sit next to Alexander and handed shot glasses to everyone. " _À ta santé_. You too, Alexander, don't be such a spoil sport."

 

Aimé lost track of the evening soon after his third shot, he just made sure Alexander didn't skip a round and by midnight they were back at the apartment with both Sophie and Lisa.

Alexander was so out of it he was rambling on about succulent plants and didn't even word protest when Aimé shoved him and Sophia into his room.

When he closed the door behind them he almost felt bad but then Lisa was pressing against him in her flimsy excuse for a skirt and he couldn't spare another thought for Alexander.

 

Alexander went into the kitchen in the morning and was uncomfortably reminded of the morning the day before. There was a girl. She was sitting on the kitchen table with his back to him, Aimé was standing between her legs, one hand in her hair, the other unmistakably up her skirt

It was then that Alexander noticed that Aimé was looking at him over the girl's shoulder, their eyes met and Alexander was frozen in the doorway.

Aimé's expression remained unreadable, his hand working away under the girl's skirt, whispering into her ear while she was making quiet little noises into his shoulder.

It took all of four and a half minutes until she came with a gasp, all the while Aimé didn't take his eyes off Alexander.

Eventually Alexander did turn around and walked off and neither of them mentioned the incident when they were drinking coffee together after Aimé had let Lisa out of the flat. Sophia was nowhere to be seen and Aimé felt too guilty to ask.

 

Carl called him up a bit later and Aimé was relieved Alexander wasn't anywhere near because the way Carl was yelling into the receiver it could be heard in the whole room.

"Hiya, Bonpland, good news are: I don't owe you twenty.  Also good news, Sophia showed up at my place last night. Which of course implies the bad news which is that Alexander didn't get laid."

"Oh," was all Aimé could say startled by the dash of relief he felt.

"Tell me about it. Apparently he - and I quote - couldn't get it up. Although he was gentlemen enough to offer her to crash in his bed and sleep on the couch himself. She didn't take him up on it." he laughed, "You must have overdone it a bit with getting him drunk."

"Must have."

Carl cleared his throat, "Listen, is he alright? It didn't freak him out too much or anything? I do feel a bit bad."

"Yeah, me too. I better check on him and apologize. See you around."

 

He hung up and found Alexander in his room labeling his herbaria. He didn't look up when Aimé entered.

"Hey, how're you doing?" Aimé sat down on a chair next to him.

"I'm busy."

"These look really good." Aimé pointed at the pressed plant on the page in front of Alexander.

"I collected it two weeks ago. I was lucky. It was in perfect bloom then." He wrote the labels the old fashioned way with a fountain pen. His scrawly handwriting blending in well with the ones centuries older.

"Alexandre - I wanted to apologize ... for the thing with the girl."

Alexander stopped writing abruptly, tensing all over.

"I shouldn't have locked her in a room with you, when you clearly didn't ... That was really not funny. I'm sorry." Aimé went on and Alexander relaxed and picked up the pen again.

"It's okay," he said tonelessly.

"So we're cool then? Good. That's good.  Uhm, if there's a way I can make it up to you - I dunno, do a research paper for one of your classes or whatever - tell me, okay?"

Alexander looked up at him.

Aimé's eyes went wide with panic, "Oh no, no way. No. I know that look on your face by now, and it means you're gonna make me steal the archaeopteryx fossil from the natural history museum or do experiments on me with spider venom. You know when I said I'd make it up to you I didn't really mean it, I was just being polite. Please don't make me do anything illegal."

Alexander smirked, "Don't worry, it's almost not illegal."

"Yeah, that sounds absolutely not reassuring."

 

And so Aimé ended up climbing over the fence of the city's arboretum with Alexander at two o'clock on a Monday night.

"This is the stupidest thing I've done in my life and trust me I have done my fair share of stupid things back in La Rochelle." Aimé said as he was struggling not to drop his bag when he carefully heaved himself over the metal spikes on top of the fence.

Alexander was already waiting for him on the other side, "Stop complaining and hurry up."

Aimé jumped to the ground, almost falling over before Alexander could grab his arm and steady him.

"And you know why it's so stupid? I don't believe they wouldn't let you study the trees here if you asked nicely."

"But I need seed samples. And you would be surprised how fussy they are about an undergrad without supervisor fiddling about with their endangered trees."

"And the logical conclusion you get out of that is to break and enter in the dead of night? Your law-abiding-model-citizen act doesn't fool me anymore, you little rascal."

It was pitch-black around them so Aimé couldn't really see anything but he could have sworn he saw Alexander blush.

 

Alexander seemed to be familiar with the terrain and walked quickly and sure-footed. After the third time Aimé ran into a tree in the dark Alexander took his hand and led him over to the central building where he disappeared for a few seconds in the shadows and came back carrying a ladder.

"Don't worry, you don't have to do any climbing. I just need you to hold the ladder and warn me in case there is a groundskeeper around at this time." he said as he noticed Aimé's concerned expression.

He leaned the ladder against a tree, climbed up a few rungs and gestured Aimé, who was watching from a safe distance, closer. "Come on, what's the worst thing that can happen?"

"You shouldn't say that, you're tempting fate." Aimé said as he tentatively stepped closer and held the ladder in place.

Alexander swiftly climbed up to the lower branches of the tree, "Do you believe in bad luck, Aimé?"

"No. Maybe. Are you okay up there?" Aimé tried to make out Alexander's silhouette between the leaves, "I can't really see what you're doing."

"I'm fine, I almost got it."

"Hurry up, I'm freezing." Aimé began jumping up and down to warm himself up.

Alexander didn't answer and suddenly there was the sound of a branch snapping, the thud of a body hitting the grass under the tree.

Aimé immediately let go of the ladder and hurried over to Alexander lying motionless on the ground.

"Alexandre? Oh god, please tell me you're okay." he turned Alexander's face up from the dirt and took his pulse on the side of his neck; it was slightly elevated but nothing to worry about, "Thank god. Come on, buddy, you with me?"

Alexander's eyes fluttered and he mumbled something inaudible.

Aimé moved closer, "What was that? You gotta tell me what hurts, you might have fractured something."

Alexander looked down to his right hand which was clenched into a fist.

"Your hand? Don't move it, let me see." Aimé carefully picket up his hand. "Do your fingers hurt or is it more in the wrist?"

Alexander shook his head and slowly uncurled his fingers. In his palm lay a couple of small seeds. He grinned up at Aimé.

Aimé stared back at him. Then he slapped Alexander across the cheek, "You stupid idiot. You scared me. God. I can't believe this. You're the absolute worst, I'm telling you."

Alexander rubbed his cheek and sat up. "Give me my bag, will you."

Aimé reluctantly handed it to him, "So you're okay?"

"I'm okay," Alexander put the seed into his bag. "Are you still cold?"

"I'm - I don't know. I was until you scared me half to death just now."

Alexander patted the grass next to him, "Come here." He took a thermos bottle out of his bag, "Would you like tea?"

Aimé had to laugh despite himself, "Yeah, I guess that'd be nice."

Alexander handed him some tea and gestured up to the stars, "It's lovely, we have clear skies."

Aimé looked up, "Why Alexandre, is this a date?"

It was meant as a joke but Alexander went still as soon as it was out and Aimé suddenly remembered the morning Alexander had watched him get the girl off, and there was a lump in his throat and his heart felt heavy in his chest but then Alexander started speaking in a low soft voice and Aimé felt himself calm.

"Do you know anything about astronomy?"

Aimé shook his head.

"This is a really nice autumn sky, you can see _Cassiopeia_ right above us. The constellation that looks like a 'W'."

Aimé leaned closer to see what stars Alexander was pointing at.

"Even the summer triangle is still there to the west - its stars are called _Altair_ , _Vega_ and _Deneb_. It's also named the 'navigator's triangle' among sailors who use it to navigate the Pacific."

As Alexander smiled Aimé could see his teeth white in the dark. He was happy then.


	7. Chapter 6

The next day Aimé was sick. He woke up to Alexander hovering over him with an expression that was half disgust, half fascination.

"You look horrible." he said.

Aimé tried to answer but had to cough violently for half a minute before he could manage a proper sentence.

"Clearly this is your fault," he said, voice husky, "I must have gotten this from freezing my ass off at the arboretum last night."

Alexander looked unimpressed, "You of all people should know that you can't get a cold purely from being cold."

"Whatever." Aimé kneaded the bridge of his nose with forefinger and thumb, "What are you still waiting? I'm not going anywhere today."

"Don't be melodramatic, it's just a common cold."

"Try flu." Aimé said and wiped his running nose with his shirtsleeve.

"Nonsense.  Let me take your temperature."

Aimé was about to protest but Alexander was already out of the room and came back with a thermometer in his hand.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned towards Aimé who immediately scrambled away from him.

"Don't -"

Alexander backed off and held the thermometer up, "It's just an ear thermometer. I'm not gonna take advantage of you in your weakened state." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Aimé reluctantly turned the side of his face to Alexander so he could put the thermometer into his ear.

To steady Aimé's head Alexander put a hand on his cheek and Aimé leaned into the cool touch, feeling a warmth pool in his stomach that wasn't from the fever when Alexander absentmindedly brushed his thumb over Aimé's jar line.

Alexander took his hand away as the thermometer beeped and Aimé sagged back onto his pillow.

"Just over 38 degrees. You'll live."

"38? I think your thermometer's broke," Aimé said drowsily, eyes only half open.

"And I think you're a bit delirious." Alexander put the thermometer away, "It's Celsius. I thought you used the metric system in France." 

Aimé had another fit of coughing, "Gee, you have the best bedside manner."

"Yeah. So, uhm, I need to go now." Alexander said and the inner conflict was written all over his face, "Will you be okay? I won't be home till seven."

"Trust me, I'll probably be better alone than with you trying to make me better. I just need to sleep." Aimé mumbled, eyes already closed.

"Carl should be working home all day so you can call him in case you need anything. Don't call me unless you're dying."

"If I wouldn't be all knocked out right now I'd kick your ass."

"I doubt that." Alexander said from the hallway where he was putting his shoes on, "Get well soon, I need you cataloging herbaria."

Aimé was fast asleep by the time the door closed behind Alexander

 

He woke up again not feeling any better  - worse if anything - to the sound of someone talking his shoes off in the hall.

He glanced over at his alarm clock. It said 12:43.

"Alexandre?", he called, barely getting a sound out of his sore throat.

Alexander's head appeared in the door, "Oh, are you awake?"

Aimé sat up slowly, "Yeah, I thought you wouldn't be home until late?"

Alexander looked down at his feet, "I had to pick up a book from here. So I thought I'd bring you tissues and cough syrup." He held up a pharmacy bag.

"Uhm, you know it's okay to admit you were worried about me and came to look how I was for no other reason. I won't think you've gone soft or anything."

Alexander's face went red and he stumbled back into the hallway mumbling something inaudible.

Nevertheless minutes later he came back with a cup of tea which he handed to Aimé wordlessly.

Aimé cocked his head, "Thank you. That's ... that's really nice of you actually."

Alexander crossed his arm, "You seem so surprised."

Aimé smiled and took a sip of his tea. It was hot and over brewed and too sweet, and the best thing Aimé had ever tasted, "No, thank you. I know you hate to put your work aside in the middle of the day. I appreciate it."

"I didn't - I needed - "

Without thinking Aimé put his fingertips on Alexander's lips to silence him.

"Sh, I know," he said softly.

Alexander looked down at Aimé's fingers and blinked a few times and Aimé pondered how long he could get away with leaving them there on Alexander's slightly parted lips with Alexander's breath tickling his fingertips.

He did take them away eventually, reluctantly, "Sorry, I shouldn't  - I don't wanna infect you."

"Don't worry. I told you I don't get sick," Alexander said and if his voice was just a bit unsteady he covered it well.

 

A day later Alexander was sick.

Which couldn't keep him from trying to get to work anyway.  He pulled his scarf tight and determinedly walked out the door.

Ten minutes later the doorbell rang and Aimé dragged himself out of bed to open.

It was Carl, his arm around an half unconscious Alexander. "I found your boy passed out halfway down the stairs. He's burning up." He looked Aimé up and down, "And I see you're not looking too good either. Well, the flu's going around right now, half of my class is on sick leave. Come on, help me get him into bed. He's been trying to convince me he's fine and wants to go to uni."

Aimé wrapped an arm around Alexander's waist and heaved him into bed.

Carl kneed down and pulled Alexander's boots off. "Can you look after him? Just so he doesn't try to wander off again? I have things to see and people to do and most of all I don't wanna catch whatever you're having so I'm gonna head out."

"I'll manage. I think it's just a twenty-four hour flu thing anyway. I already feel better than yesterday."

"Good. Call me in case of emergency."

Soon after Carl had left Alexander was stirring in his bed.

"Aimé?" he whispered.

Aimé crouched down beside Alexander and put a hand on his forehead, "Yeah, I'm here. You should try to sleep."

"I have to ... be somewhere ... not here." Alexander tried to sit up and was pushed back into the pillow by Aimé.

"Sleep. You'll feel better I promise."

"No, no, I -" Alexander blinked irritated. 

"Well, but I need to sleep now. So please, please, shut the fuck up now." Aimé waited for Alexander to doze off before he went back to his own bed but he could only relax for five minutes before he heard Alexander's door open again.

When he looked into the hallway Alexander was struggling to get into his jacket.

"What in god's name -  Alexander, get back into bed."

"I have to go, my herbaria. I have so much to do, I can't waste any - "

"Alexander, you're sick. You're not doing yourself any favors here. If I put you back to bed now, can I rely on you not getting up again?"

Alexander looked at him defiantly like a child with his jacket half on.

Aimé sighed, "Okay, fine. Come with me."

He dragged Alexander into his own room, pushed him onto the bed and settled down beside him, one arm thrown loosely across Alexander's chest.

Alexander stared at him wide-eyed, "Aimé -"

Aimé already had his eyes closed and was halfway asleep again. "Shut the fuck up, Humboldt."

 

Aimé woke up because he couldn't feel his right hand and when he turned his head to check on it his eyes fell right on Alexander lying on his arm, cutting off his blood circulation.

His first thought was to take a photo of Alexander drooling on his shirt sleeve for blackmail. His second thought was that Alexander looked kind of cute - guileless and placid in sleep.

His third thought was to better take a cold shower right now so he pulled his arm out from underneath Alexander and did just that.

When he came back Alexander was awake, looking slightly disoriented.

Aimé sat down on the bed next to him, "Slept well?"

"I - "Alexander croaked out, winced in pain and put a hand on his throat.

Aimé laughed and handed him the cough syrup.

Alexander held the brown bottle against the light from the window.

"Hey, you didn't take any of this. I got it for you," he said sounding almost disappointed.

"I appreciate it. But it tastes like sickeningly sweet tar."

"I believe it's _plantago lanceolata_." Alexander pointedly took a spoon, poured the dark, thick liquid onto it, put it into his mouth and swallowed without as much as grimacing at the taste.

Aimé raised an eyebrow, "That's impressive giving you can't even drink liquor with a straight face."

Alexander held the spoon and the bottle out to him.

Aimé shook his head, "Ha, no, thank you."

Alexander then proceeded to fill the spoon with cough syrup and hold it close to Aimé's mouth who felt uncomfortably reminded of his mother trying to give him medicine.

"I wouldn't take this if it cured cancer." Aimé said opening his mouth as little as possible while speaking.

He was completely taken by surprise when Alexander tackled him, held his nose and when Aimé gasped for air shoved the spoon into his mouth.

Aimé pulled a face and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "Dirty trick, dude, way to go."

"You'll thank me when you'll be out and about again in no time." Alexander said and got up from the bed, "I'm going to my room, do some work so the day isn't wasted entirely."

"You do that. I'm gonna go back to sleep. Wake me up in about four days."

 

Aimé woke up all by himself by late evening. Getting up was the last thing he wanted but his mouth felt so dry he couldn't breath.

In the kitchen he stumbled upon Alexander who sat at the kitchen table reading, a large cup of hot chocolate in front of him.

Aimé filled a glass with water and gulped it down in one go.

He leaned over Alexander's shoulder, "Watcha reading?"

Alexander held up the book cover for him.

Aimé squinted at the title for a second, then at Alexander, "You gotta help me here. My German is a little rusty."

"Uhm, _les souffrances du jeune Werther_."

"Well, that sounds real cheery ..." Aimé suddenly stopped and frowned, "Wait a second -," he looked from the book to the hot chocolate, then started grinning, "I know what this is. You're fucking lovesick, Alexandre! Don't deny it."

Alexander winced and stared at the pages of his book to avoid eye contact.

"Well, you're in luck," Aimé dragged a chair around and sat down to face Alexander, "because you happen to have a Frenchman at your disposal. Cliché demands that we're good at the whole shebang. I'll be damned if I can't help you." He looked at Alexander expectantly, who kept his mouth shut.

"Aw come on. Work with me here. Who is that special someone? Someone from uni?"

Alexander gave a non-committal shrug.

"Does that person even know you're totally smitten?" Aimé went on, "From what I learned about German people I'd say probably not. I mean you guys are so oblivious, you don't notice someone's into you until they spell it out for you. We French are way better at this, we always pick these things up."

Alexander made a pained noise and buried his face in his hands.

"Don't want any help? Your loss." Aimé pushed the hot chocolate towards Alexander, "At least put aside your emo novel and drink your cocoa and stop pulling such a face."

Aimé headed towards the door, then turned around again, "And if you do need some advise I'm here for you. I could get you laid in no time, you just have to say a word."

Alexander choked on his hot chocolate.


	8. Chapter 7

Weeks went by, and Aimé found himself falling into a comfortable routine with Alexander.

Granted Alexander wasn't the easiest to be around with his quirks and perpetual German-ness and it was far from Aimé's favourite pastime to be criticized on a daily basis, but then there were those moments when Alexander would call for Aimé across the flat to show him something under his microscope with infectious enthusiasm, their shoulders bumping when Aimé leaned forward to look through the ocular, or when they talked about _pteridophyta_ until three in the morning surrounded by the artificial jungle of Alexander's terraria, the snake Henriette lazily sliding around Alexander's arms.  

Alexander loved his animals and was constantly complaining that he could only keep a few insects and spiders apart from his snake in his apartment. His favourite animals were toucans and monkeys, a fact Aimé laughed about but found secretly endearing.

But what Aimé amazed most was Alexander's unwavering believe in the good of mankind and his strong sense of justice. For instance he would always carry huge amounts of loose change in his pockets to give to homeless people and street performers.

One time he saw a man yelling at his child on the underground. Alexander walked up to him and told him to stop which resulted in the man yelling at him instead. Alexander didn't back off and tried to reason with the man until they all got thrown out by the conductor. Aimé complained about having to walk to uni.

 

By the end of the month Aimé could convince Alexander to let him bring a radio when they were working in the archives. Immediately the inevitable argument ensued about which station to play. To Aimé's chagrin Alexander was an avid fan of classical music, preferably German. In fact Alexander seemed to never have heard of any music made after the 1920s. Aimé of course could not stand for that and borrowed about a dozen of his favourite albums from the library with the intention of making Alexander listen to them. As it turned out Alexander did not own a CD player but only a record player for the few Wagner operas he owned on vinyl. They only used the radio to listen to the news from then on.

Despite the fact that they were almost constantly in some sort of quarrel, Alexander grew on Aimé in ways he wouldn't have expected. Mainly it were the little things:  
Alexander's strange sentiment which caused him to prefer his microscope with a mirror over one with an electric light; how he would constantly talk about his brother, never mention his absent father; his ever-present formal wear and how he would absentmindedly adjust Aimé's tie whether that was needed or not on the rare occasions he could get Aimé to wear one; how he would always claim moral high ground; and how he looked in the morning when he hadn't slept a wink because there were flowers to press before they withered, exhausted but deeply contented.

 

Christmas came around and Aimé hadn't planned on going home but after he mentioned to Alexander that he really missed Michel but couldn't afford the flight he found an airline ticket in his shoe on Saint Nicholas Day while Alexander stubbornly denied having anything to do with it, so he got to spend the second half of December with his family in France after all.

Michel also came home over the holidays and wouldn't stop talking about Paris. There was a girl he thought about proposing to. Aimé talked little about Berlin, even less about Alexander but when he watched the fireworks on new year's eve he found himself thinking of Alexander and even looking forward to seeing him again soon.   

 

In January it snowed and Aimé who wasn't used to heavy snow spent all of three days in awe before he caught a cold and wouldn't stop complaining about the weather from then on. That was also the week Alexander brought home a stray puppy.

He stumbled into the flat, the little ball of fur bundled up in his jacket while he stood there in only a shirt soaked through with melting snow.

Aimé watched Alexander as he toweled the shaggy sand-colored mutt dry. "We can bring it to a shelter tomorrow."

Alexander looked at him, eyes wide with innocence.

Aimé shook his head vehemently, "Oh no, you can't keep it. It's all gross and probably has fleas and scabies."

"I'll name it Damon." Alexander said and the puppy stayed.

Aimé hated the dog but the feeling seemed to be mutual. It always messed up his uni documents and chewed up the plants Aimé had carefully collected only to throw them back up preferably on the carpet in Aimé's room. It bit Aimé whenever he tried to touch it.

Meanwhile Alexander condoned the puppy almost everything and let it sleep next to his own pillow at night.  
Aimé baught a padlock for his room.

 

In January they also got a wedding invitation in the mail. Wilhelms fiancée Karoline wanted a winter wedding so she got one and the date was set for mid February.

"Why does he bother to send you an invitation?" Aimé said as Alexander ripped open the envelope, "You're his best man, right? You've known about the date for ages."

"Yes, but I need to RSVP anyway in case I'm bringing anyone. My brother is a diplomat; there's nothing he takes more serious than seating arrangements." Alexander traced the fine gold lettering on the invitation paper with his finger, "You don't have a tux, I take it?"

"No. No, I don't," Aimé hesitated, "But I don't think I should come anyway. I don't know your brother all that well."

Alexander ignored the last comment and went on, "We can have one of mine adjusted. I have to see my tailor anyway next week."

" _Your_ tailor. Right. Uhm, but I really think I'd be out of place."

"Don't be silly. We don't do immediate-family-circle-only parties. There are going to be so many people who are not particularly close to my brother either." Alexander took out a pen and began to scribble on the RSVP card.

Aimé watched him uncomfortably, "I'm not good with people."

Alexander looked up from the card, "What are you talking about, you're great with people."

"I'm not good with your kind of people."

"Oh." Alexander said, and then after a little pause, "It'll be fine. Carl will come." He wrote _'3'_ behind _'number attending:'_. "Do you prefer chicken, salmon or vegetarian?"

 


	9. Chapter 8

The only wedding Aimé had been to before was his cousin's and there had been not more than fifty people present. Now for Wilhelm's wedding the number of guests went into the hundreds.

The ceremony was held in a big, old church and it was freezing cold inside so people were sitting in the pews with their coats and scarves on, the string quartet played while wearing fingerless gloves and it was all quite beautiful.

A lot of speeches were held and everyone regretted letting Alexander speak who loved the attention and rambled on until someone forcefully took the microphone from his hands.

 

After the ceremony the whole party was moved to Wilhelm's house which Aimé would call a mansion in lack of a better word. There was some sort of ballroom, a balcony on one side with view over the city. People were dancing to a band playing cheesy sixties songs.

Aimé was glad about Carl's company. Alexander was busy socializing with important looking people and Aimé felt rather uncomfortable shaking hands and making small talk so he sat with Carl and a lot of champagne at a corner table for most of the evening.

 

At one point Alexander walked over to him followed by a woman in a pantsuit. Aimé stood up to shake her hand.

Alexander smiled at him, "May I introduce the wonderful Henriette Herz. Henriette, I want you to meet my friend Aimé Bonpland." he stopped as he saw someone waving at him across the room, "Please excuse me."

He walked away and Aimé was left with the woman not knowing what to say but she smiled at him encouragingly, "Monsieur Bonpland, well well. Alexander has mentioned you but I can't say he's given a lot of details so I'm delighted to finally meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine, Mrs Herz." Aimé said formally.

"Henriette, please. Any friend of Alexander's."

Aimé then realized why the name sounded so familiar and he had to laugh, "If I'm not mistaken he has a pet snake named after you."

Henriette smiled warmly, "Ah yes, I gave it to him as a present. And you are working with him on his botany project?"

"I am. I'm also living with him as long as I'm staying in Germany."

"Yes, he mentioned that. I think you're just the company he needs. All that working alone isn't doing him any good. You know how he gets all work and no play. And kind of a force of nature - so much raw energy needs something to crash against."

Aimé looked at her puzzled, "I'm not really sure I understand what you're saying."

"Nevermind. I might have had a bit to much champagne already." she smirked at him, "I'm going to dance now. You have a nice evening." She disappeared into the crowd of people.

 

After another few glasses the idea of dancing felt quite appealing to Aimé too and he met a few girls who were all second and third cousins of Alexander and took turns dancing with Aimé.

Much later even dancing seemed too much of a fuss to Aimé and he concentrated on getting drunk with Carl. They had found out early that they made great drinking partners with both of them getting very talkative. They had somehow gotten from champagne to whiskey and Aimé complained enthusiastically about Damon the puppy to the band playing the Box Tops' _The Letter_ in the background.

"I'm not allowed to touch his theodolite like ever and then there's the little mutt bumping into it all the time because he's got those freakishly large paws and he's very uncoordinated and it's like Alexander doesn't even mind. God, I hate that dog," Aimé took a swig whiskey straight from the bottle before handing it over to Carl, "The thing is I can't really be mad at him. I mean I'm mad at him all the time but not really. Does that make sense?"

Carl nodded slowly, "Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean. He has this face." He handed the bottle back to Aimé.

"I know, I know. Ugh, I wish he didn't." Aimé gulped down a bit too much liquor at once which made him grimace and he had to cough a few times.

"Didn't what?"

"Didn't - " Aimé made a vague gesture, "didn't have this face. You know the rapturous look he gets when he talks about the interaction between rock formation and vegetation ..."

"Uh huh."

"And his enthusiasm is completely real, innocent. Like a pastor's son, all blonde and blue-eyed and naive."

Carl squinted at Aimé and cocked his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing, I just - " Aimé ran his fingers through his hair, "He's quite something, isn't he?"

"Bonpland ... ," Carl said cautiously.

Aimé bit his lip, "Oh, _merde_. But you get it, don't you? I mean look at his hair and his eyes and - jesus, I made him watch Les Misérables with me when we were both sick and he was to febrile to put up resistance, and his favourite character was Enjolras, can you believe it."

Carl looked at him sympathetically, "You're so screwed, man."

Aimé sighed heavily, "Tell me about it. Of all the people I could have easily ..."

Carl shrugged, "Oh, you could have him. I meant you're screwed because he's quite a handful, you're never gonna get rid of him again."

"But I thought he wouldn't ... didn't ..." Aimé frowned, "Since the thing with the girl I thought he didn't."

"Oh, he does." Carl grinned, "Trust me, I know."

Aimé's eyes went wide, "You? Oh my god, you dog. Is that how you met? Spill."

"Uh, well, long story short, we didn't really talk for about half a year after I moved into the apartment next to his. I had to do a full body oil portrait for my finals so I asked him to sit for me. Which he did. And then things happened." Carl looked at the bottle in his hands, "I shouldn't have told you that."

"No, no, I'm kinda glad you did. Even though I would have bet ..." Aimé looked across the room where Alexander was talking to Wilhelm while looking decisively annoyed, "Well."

"I know, uhm, it's that he doesn't ... I've never seen him interested in a stranger or someone he just met. I guess he needs to establish an emotional connection before he opens up. I don't know if he got hurt at some point. He falls in love like people go bankrupt: slowly, then all at once."

Aimé barked out a laugh, "Did you just quote Hemingway at me?"

"I don't know. I'm drunk."

Aimé leaned towards Carl, "So ... are you two still ...?" he made a vague gesture with his hand.

"Oh lord, no. He's all yours." Carl nodded to the doors that led to the balcony where Alexander just disappeared, "Go get him, tiger."

Aimé grinned, " _Va te faire fourte_." He flipped Carl off as he walked away.

 

There were only a few people on the balcony, enduring the cold for a smoke or some privacy in the half-dark. Aimé opened the glass door and immediately regretted not having his coat with him.

He spotted Alexander immediately, his silhouette leaning against the balustrade, looking out to the distant city lights. Out here the sounds of the party were muffled, the band played _Have Love, Will Travel_.

"I like the Sonics version better." Aimé said as he walked up behind Alexander.

Alexander startled and turned around, "What?"

"Nothing." Aimé leaned against the balustrade and rubbed his hands together. His breath fogged in front of his face, "Jesus, it's cold out here. Why would anyone have a wedding in winter - "

"Aimé." Alexander interrupted him.

Aimé looked at him sideways but Alexander kept his eyes fixed into the distance, "What?"

"You should go back inside."

"It's okay, it's not that cold - "

"No. If you don't go now I might kiss you."

He was still not looking at Aimé who was dumbstruck for a few seconds.

"Because I want to, you know, kiss you. Really bad. And I didn't even drink that much."

Aimé was still staring at him. When he felt like his limbs would obey him again, he grabbed Alexander's arm and pushed him against the nearest wall. The white fog of their breaths mixed in the three inches space between their faces. They were both breathing heavily and Aimé could do nothing but stare into the steel blue of Alexander's eyes.

Alexander cleared his throat. "If you are planning on either beating me up or kissing me," he whispered, voice thick and a little hoarse, "I suggest we move this somewhere else."

It was then that Aimé looked up and realized that what he had assumed to be a wall turned out to be the glass doors that led back into the ballroom and most of the guests inside stared at him crowding Alexander against the glass. Aimé caught a glimpse of Wilhelm's particularly priceless expression.

"Oh. I'm just gonna... " Aimé laughed nervously and backed off.

"Yeah." Alexander said and bit back a grin, before he leaned toward Aimé again to say in a low voice, "Take a cab home. I'll be with you in no time, after I get the chance to appease my brother a bit."

He straightened his lapels and went back inside. Aimé couldn't get out of the building fast enough.

 

Back at the flat Aimé walked around restlessly until he heard the key turning in the lock. Alexander entered and took off his coat and shoes and Aimé didn't know what to say, feeling stone-cold sober all at once.

Then they just stood there still wearing suits, looking at each other.

"So." Alexander said, drawing the word out, "Wilhelm was a bit enraged we caused a little scene at his party. You should have heard him: _Alexander, still with the boys? If I'd known!_ " He smiled awkwardly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't." Aimé said and took a step towards Alexander with enough distance between them that they didn't touch but only just.

Then it was Alexander to push Aimé against a wall.

"Jes -" was all Aimé could say breathlessly, before Alexander kissed him.

It wasn't at all like Aimé had imagined it. He had assumed Alexander to be all blushing and tentativeness. In retrospect it made sense that Alexander would bring the same enthusiasm and thoroughness to sex that he brought to all things with a just slightly alarming scientific curiosity.

He hesitated only once after he had pinned Aimé to the bed.

"Just tell me how drunk you are." he said, eyes locked with Aimé's, "Just tell me you're not gonna regret this in the morning. Because I couldn't take it."

"I'm not - I won't ... Please." Aimé said and that was all the encouragement Alexander needed.

 

When Aimé woke up in the morning Alexander was gone. He had a slight panic attack for all of five minutes - god, what if Alexander was the one regretting this, their friendship ruined, Alexander wouldn't want him living in his flat anymore, maybe he could move in with Carl? - until the door opened and Alexander came in carrying Starbucks cups and biology books.

"You didn't look like you would wake up any time soon. So I got coffee and work." Alexander said and sat down on the bed next to Aimé and handed him one of the cups.

"Thank you." Aimé said awkwardly and took a sip of the coffee, not knowing whether it was okay to touch Alexander so he kept a diplomatic distance.

"You got a little - " Alexander said and brushed his thumb over Aimé's lower lip to wipe away a bit of milk foam.

And then Aimé didn't care anymore and he just kissed Alexander who tasted of coffee and smelled like formaldehyde and it was even better than Aimé remembered from last night when Alexander had tasted of champagne and smelled like aftershave. 

They were interrupted by Damon who tried to climb onto the bed, barking and demanding attention.

"I'm going to fucking murder the dog." Aimé said dryly, grabbed Damon by the scruff of it's neck and carried it into the hall before closing the door.

Alexander raised an eyebrow, "That's my dog."

"I don't care," Aimé said and kissed him again.

They drank their coffee and Alexander skimmed through his books until the whole bed was covered in them.

"You can't stop working for just half an hour, can you?" Aimé asked amusedly.

"Hhm." Alexander said, engrossed in his reading and clearly not listening.

"Alexandre!" Aimé ripped the book from his hands.

When Alexander tried to wrestle Aimé for the book, they both tumbled from the bed onto the floor where Aimé straddled Alexander's hips and held the book out of his reach.

"Tell me."

Alexander cocked his head, "What?"

"What's with your blind ambition? Why you can't take a break for just one day?"

Alexander's face turned more serious, "Will you promise not to laugh?"

"Sure." Aimé said as he traced Alexander's collarbone with his thumb.

Alexander propped himself up on his elbows, "I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Scared to be forgotten. To end up as nothing but a footnote in a book if I slow down just a bit too long."

Aimé shrugged, "Most of us mere mortals would be happy with a footnote."

"But I'm not."

"You want the whole chapter?"

"I want the whole book."

Aimé laughed softly, "Well, I for one won't forget you in a million years." He rested his forehead against Alexander's.

"You'll die." Alexander said in a breathy voice.

"So will you."

"Not really."

In a moment of inattention on Aimé's side Alexander quickly grabbed the book from Aimé's hands.

He smirked, "Not if I get any say in the matter."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sped things up a bit otherwise I'll never finish this.  
> Also I'm sorry for the fade to black, I owe you all some PWP.


	10. Chapter 9

Strange enough dating Alexander turned out to be not very different from not dating Alexander except for the sex part. A few times Aimé tried to take Alexander out on a proper date to eat dinner or see a movie but something had always gotten in the way - usually Alexander's work - and Aimé was about to give up when Alexander asked him whether he wanted to eat out one night.

They went to a French place which was Alexander's way of trying to appease Aimé but as it turned out the only actual French thing about the restaurant was it's name. They somehow managed to get through an hour of awkward dinner conversation. The waitress wouldn't stop hitting on Aimé so he blatantly kissed Alexander on the mouth and watched the waitress' face fall. Alexander was mortified Aimé had kissed him in public. They never went out again after that.

 

Apart from sleeping with each other and one unsuccessful date they still did all the same things and if anything Alexander was more patronizing now than ever. 

Aimé tried not to mind. He did mind nevertheless. But at the time he thought it was worth it because sometimes he could get Alexander to stay in bed a little longer in the morning. With his back leaned against Alexander's chest, he would read French poetry and sometimes Alexander even listened.

" _Puisque de vous seules, braises de satin, Le Devoir s’exhale sans qu’on dise: enfin. Là pas d’espérance, nul orietur. Science avec patience, le supplice est sûr._ "

"Did you know he was gay?" Alexander interrupted him.

Aimé put his book down, "Who?"

"Rimbaud."

"Yeah."

"Is he your favourite poet because he was gay?" Alexander asked curiously.

"Jesus, Alexandre. I suppose his poetry appealed to me in my teenage years full of gay angst but, uhm, it's not like his poems are very explicit or anything so I think it doesn't matter. It's just really good poetry." Aimé let his head fall back against Alexander's shoulder, "Read something you like to me."

Alexander walked over to a bookshelf and came back with a small volume, "Goethe." he said almost apologetic before he began to read, " _Bedecke deinen Himmel, Zeus, mit Wolkendunst und übe, dem Knaben gleich, der Disteln köpft, an Eichen dich und Bergeshöhn  ..._ "

Aimé closed his eyes as Alexander read and listened to the words he could get little meaning out of.

"It is quite beautiful," Aimé admitted after Alexander finished, "What's your favourite book?"

Alexander smiled and got up again. This time he came back with a large-format blue book that said 'Diercke Weltatlas' on the front.

"An atlas?" Aimé asked.

"Yes. It's the one they use to teach you geography at school in Germany. It's the first one I ever owned." Alexander said fondly as he flicked through the pages.

"You got a favourite page?"

Without hesitation Alexander opened the book and held a map of South America up for Aimé to look at.

"It's like ... that's where I'm supposed to be, you know?" Alexander explained, "I could do great things there."

Aimé smiled and traced the Amazon river with his fingers. "I can just picture you being nine years old and secretly reading under your blanket with a flashlight. I bet you spent all your time at the library."

"Not so much actually. I'm a field scientist at heart, an empiric. I spent all my time hunting tadpoles." Alexander sat up in bed. "But right now I actually do need to go to the library."

Aimé made a disapproving sound and tugged at Alexander's shirt sleeve. "Come on, five more minutes. I'll make it worth your while."

Aimé looked at him with his best bedroom eyes to no avail. Alexander picked up his clothes and impatiently waited for Aimé to do the same.

 

They were at the library half an hour later; Alexander looking through reference books, Aimé languidly slouching on a chair.   

"Are you done soon? I want to go to the lab, have a look at the soil samples," he complained.

Alexander didn't look up from his book but he smirked just the tiniest bit, "You can't hurry genius."

Aimé rolled his eyes and managed to sit still for another five minutes before he got up and stood behind Alexander, following his every step.

"Go back to your chair, I can't concentrate."

Aimé moved closer to Alexander. "Oh, yeah?" he purred into his ear, "Tell me more about that."

"Aimé," Alexander said, trying to sound resolute but Aimé could hear his resistance crumbling.

He sneaked his hand under Alexander's shirt and pulled him close against his own chest.

"Aimé," Alexander said again but softer this time as Aimé began kissing his neck.

Nevertheless it only took Alexander another two minutes to recollect himself and step away from Aimé. He looked around hastily to make sure no one else was there to see them.

Aimé laughed and crowded Alexander against the bookshelves. "Calm down, there's no one here beside us."

"You can't - We can't ... This is a library!"

"Oh yeah, talk dirty to me." Aimé shoved his hand down the front of Alexander's pants.

"It's a library - " Alexander repeated, breathless now.

"Hm, you said that." Aimé hummed against Alexander's collarbone, "I know this is like your church, but a bit of blasphemy has never done anyone any harm."

"We don't have time. I still have some books to find and if you want to sort through the soil samples today - "

"Shut up. I don't give a fuck about the soil samples." he slowly got to his knees, grinning up at Alexander, "I'm sure we have time for this."

"Library!" Alexander gasped.

"Then try to be quiet." Aimé said and watched with amusement as Alexander bit down on his knuckles to stifle the noise he made when he came.

Just as Alexander had zipped his fly back up, they heard what was unmistakably Professor Blumenbach's voice, "Alexander? Are you still here?"

Alexander's eyes went wide with panic and he dragged Aimé back to his feet.

"Over here, professor." Aimé called, grinning mischievously.

Professor Blumenbach appeared from behind a shelf. "Ah, I thought I'd find you here. I just wanted to make sure you're able to meet the deadline for your thesis this Friday."

Alexander cleared his throat, his cheeks were still flushed, "That'll be no problem. I'll bring it over to your office."

"Excellent. Have a good day, you two." Professor Blumenbach tipped his hat and walked away.

Alexander turned to Aimé. "You've got a lot of nerve."

 

Being around Carl now that Aimé knew about him and Alexander was less awkward than he had imagined. Nevertheless Aimé was now highly aware of how close and comfortable around each other Alexander and Carl were. Aimé told himself he wasn't jealous but was glad when he could catch Alexander on his own; especially since Alexander seemed to be averse to any sort of public display of affection. Even if it was just Carl in the same room with them Alexander kept touching to a minimal. Aimé didn't even attempt something like holding hands when they walked through town.

 

Damon went missing mid April. Alexander couldn't find him anywhere in the flat when he wanted to feed him and neither Alexander nor Aimé could remember when they'd last seen the dog. Aimé couldn't really find it in himself to care but Alexander was worried sick. He dragged Aimé outside in the pouring rain to look for Damon around the flat and in that parks they had taken the dog for walks but to no avail.

"Well, I kinda understand him. I mean to be honest we didn't really take good care of the mutt. I for one never really liked him," Aimé said. Alexander sulked and made Aimé sleep in the other room that night.

 

As if the missing dog had been a bad omen, a day later Alexander got a phone call. He and Aimé were sitting at breakfast when Alexander's mobile buzzed. He picked up and said ' _yes'_  and ' _I understand'_  a couple of time. When he put the phone down his expression was unreadable.

"What was that about?" Aimé asked.

It took Alexander a moment to answer. He swallowed thickly, "My mother. She's sick."

"Oh god, I'm sorry. Will she be alright?"

Alexander just shrugged and busied his hands with his cup of coffee. He looked very lost. After breakfast he went to visit his mother at the hospital without Aimé.


	11. Chapter 10

On Friday Alexander stood up even earlier than usual. To his surprise Aimé was already in the kitchen making coffee. He kissed Alexander on the cheek and handed him a cup. Alexander eyed him suspiciously.

Aimé shrugged, "I know this is a big day for you and everything."

"It's really nice of you to support me." Alexander said and sipped on his coffee.

Aimé grinned, "Nah, I just want to watch the excitement turn you into a nervous wreck. Worth standing up an hour early." 

Alexander blinked irritated. 

Aimé laughed, "I'm just fucking with you, I love you, kiddo." 

He tried to ruffle Alexander's hair. Alexander ducked away.

"So when are we gonna hand over the magnificent thesis? I don't think your prof is quite awake yet at six in the morning."

"I have an appointment at nine." Alexander answered sheepishly.

Aimé tugged at Alexander's shirt sleeve. "Is there any chance I can convince you to get back into bed with me for half an hour?"

"I wanted to recheck everything, make sure the pages are in order, the source materials, the acknowledgements ..."

Aimé sighed, "Of course you do."  

"Aren't you excited about this too?"

"I am, I am. I helped you put this together and I think it's awesome. But, you know, it's still your thing."

"What are you talking about? This is our thing. It wouldn't be the way it is without you."

Aimé smiled at him, "Aw, you're so sweet. Wanna watch some Discovery Channel before breakfast?"

Alexander gestured to stacks of paper on the table, "I got to - "

"Right. See you later then."

 

Some time later they arrived at uni around ten to nine.

Alexander straightened the collar on Aimé's red plaid button down. "I wish you'd worn a dress shirt or something."

Aimé grabbed Alexander's wrists and held his hands still. "Calm down, we're just gonna drop off your thesis, it's no big deal."

"It's important to make a good impression. God, did you do something to your hair on purpose, it is a mess."

"Alexandre, we're gonna be fine, trust me."

"Okay. Okay." Alexander took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders and knocked on Professor Blumenbach's door.

It was the assistant Nina who opened. "Hey, Alexander.Come right through. The prof is waiting for you." She turned to Aimé, "And you are?"

He shook her hand, "I'm Aimé. Alexander's - "

"Flatmate." Alexander interrupted, "Nina, meet my flatmate Aimé."

She smiled, "Hi, Aimé. Now if you two want to proceed to Blumenbach's office ..." She indicated the direction with a sweeping gesture. 

"Okay." Alexander adjusted his tie before he stepped through Nina's office towards professor Blumenbach's. "Here goes nothing."

"More like here goes everything." Aimé mumbled under his breath and winked at Nina. She smiled and bit her lip.

Alexander knocked and Professor Blumenbach opened the door. "Alexander, there you are. Punctual as ever."

"Good morning, Professor. So ... here it is." Alexander said a bit lamely and made a huge gesture out of handing over a thick folder. "I also e-mailed you a digital copy but I thought you'd like it on paper."

"Thank you." Blumenbach skimmed through the first few pages. Alexander watched him expectantly.

"Well, you'll have to give me some more time to read it, Alexander." the professor said with a smirk, "But this looks very promising. I'll try to not let you wait all that long."

"Thank you, Professor."

Blumenbach looked over to Aimé, "I see you have company. Monsieur Bonplant, here for moral support?"

Aimé shook his head, "Not exactly. You could say I take a personal interest in the matter. I - "

"He's my assistant." Alexander cut in, "Assisting me in the study that led to my thesis." 

"My my, I hope he pays you enough. It must be tiring to be Alexander's assistant. Never met such a motivated student," Blumenbach jokingly said to Aimé.

"It is. He is." Aimé said dryly.

Alexander went on totally oblivious, "I'd like to explain a few things, illustrate a few of the choices I made concerning the source material, if you have a minute." 

Blumenbach gestured to a chair, "Of course, of course, always. Please sit down and take your time."

Aimé cleared his throat, "Yeah, I'll just head off then. As an assistant this is not terribly interesting for me and, you know, being an assistant I'm not really qualified to understand most of the thesis anyway. In fact I barely helped ... Professor Blumenbach," he tipped his fingers to an invisible hat, "Catch you later, Alexandre." 

Aimé waited outside for Alexander not because he wanted to but because he couldn't think of anything else to do. 

 

"You done?" he asked when Alexander left the professor's office twenty minutes later.

"Yes, why didn't you stay?" 

Aimé shrugged, "Well, I felt kind of out of place."

"Oh, come on, you know when I said assistant -"

"You didn't mean it? What happened to 'this is our thing'? We both know I contributed just as much as you to this and I know you can't tell them that I did such a large part of it and I don't need you to. But I do need you to acknowledge that I am part of this. And I am not your assistant."

Alexander threw his hands up, "What does it matter?"

Aimé raised an eyebrow, "Just imagine your reaction if I'd call you my assistant. Also he asked how much you pay me. Christ, you made me feel so cheap."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I just said assistant because it was the first thing that came to my mind."

"Oh, right. So 'flatmate' is also the first thing that comes to your mind when you have to introduce me. Really? Try a little harder, German boy."  

"What? I don't understand. What was I supposed to say?"

Aimé laughed dryly, "I don't know, uhm, boyfriend maybe?!"

"Ssh, keep it down." Alexander nervously looked around and glanced at a freshman who was walking by and staring at them.

"Did you just shush me? What are you afraid off, the gay police? You're unbelievable. I'm out of here." Aimé turned around on his heels.  

 

Aimé didn't see Alexander again until that evening when he tentatively knocked on Aimé's door.

"I want to apologize." Alexander said sheepishly looking down to his feet, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was such a big deal for you, didn't ... didn't know you cared about the thesis."

Aimé sighed, "I don't. I just - I don't know what to do with you. Most of the time I don't know whether you even like me. Whether I'm important to you. And I'm not asking to be the most important thing in your life because I know I'm not as long as there are your plants and animals and stones."

"You are. You are important to me." Alexander said quietly still staring at the floor.

Aimé rubbed his neck, "Good."

"Are we okay?"

"Yeah, we are. Come here." Aimé put his hand on Alexander's cheek, tipped his head up and kissed him.

"And you know what the best thing is? With your thesis out of the way we have more time for fun stuff."

Alexander frowned and cocked his head.

It made Aimé laugh, "Uh right, writing your thesis is what you consider fun, sorry. But you know, now we don't have to hang out at the archive and the library that much. I was thinking maybe we could do a weekend trip somewhere. Just you and me and your theodolite. We deserve it after all that work."

"Professor Blumenbach said he would read my paper as fast as possible and give me feedback soon. I'm interested to hear his opinion. Also my mother is still not well. I just can't leave here right now."

"Oh, yeah, of course. How is she?"

Alexander pressed his lips together, "Fine."

 

Professor Blumenbach seemed to be very interested in the thesis indeed because half a week later Alexander came home from uni with a grin on his face.

"He already read it and made some notes in it. And he says it's pretty good as far as he can tell." He waved the folder in front of Aimé's face.

"So can I have a look at it now?" Aimé asked. Oddly enough Alexander had been very shy about it and hadn't allowed Aimé to read it yet before Professor Blumenbach had given his o.k.. Aimé blamed it on his perfectionism.

"You know it's in German, right?"

Aimé snatched the folder from Alexander's hands. "I don't care."

 

Aimé went into his room and put the whole thing through google translate. Luckily he was familiar with the subject so it only took him a few hours to read. Even with the mediocre translation he could see that it was very well written but something bothered him, he just couldn't quite put a finger on it until he was almost at the end when he realized that he wasn't mentioned anywhere. Aimé hadn't expected to have paragraphs about him bat there wasn't so much an one mention of his name in a footnote. He turned over to the acknowledgements. There Alexander first thanked Professor Blumenbach. Then the director of the botanical garden. Then his brother. Then his mother. Then at the bottom of the page it said 'Many thanks also to my assistant Aimé Bonplant'.

Aimé stared at it for a few second then he walked over to Alexander's room.   

Alexander looked up from the book he was reading. "Oh, have you read it? What do you think?"

"It's good."Aimé said tonelessly, "Just tell me ... this isn't really 'our thing', is it?"

Alexander guiltily looked to the paper in Aimé's hand which was still open on the acknowledgements page. "I didn't know the assistant thing really bothered you when I wrote this. It doesn't mean anything."

"It means something to me."

"I can change it if you want." Alexander said hastily, "I can list you as co-author or whatever you want."

"It's not about that. It's about that I only now begin to realize that there's no place in your life for me. Maybe there's place for an assistant but apparently not for a friend." 

"Aimé - " Alexander began but Aimé cut him off.

"Alexandre. It's like you're three handful and I only have two hands. I can't do this."

Alexander just stared at him for a moment, then his face turned angry, "Why does it matter whether you're at the top of a page in this stupid thesis? So I called you assistant, so what? There are people dying and you have nothing better to do than to complain about this stupid stuff. I - I don't know what to do ...." There were tears glistening in his eyes by then.

Aimé was so surprised by this reaction that he didn't know how to react at first. He tentatively put a hand on Alexander's shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Alexander just shook his head and then we was crying and fell into Aimé's arms.

Aimé patted Alexander's back. Seeing him cry felt so utterly wrong and it made Aimé feel helpless, "Hey, hey, what is it? Talk to me." 

Alexander sobbed against Aimé's shoulder, then cleared his throat.

"My mother died."


End file.
